Williams on Harper's baserunning errors

Matt Williams has tried to instill an aggressive mentality on his ballclub this season. He's willing to tolerate some miscues on the bases, because he feels like if his players take an aggressive mindset and push the issue, it will pay off more often than not. Williams has needed to answer quite a few questions about Bryce Harper's baserunning style this season, however. Part of that is because he's Bryce Harper, and anytime Bryce Harper makes an error or runs into an out, people are going to ask about it and discuss it. That just comes with the territory these days. But facts are facts - Harper has run into outs on the bases more than any other Nationals player, despite the fact that he missed two months with a torn ligament in his thumb and has played in just 68 games this season. Last night, with one out in the second inning, Harper was picked off first base by Giants catcher Buster Posey. Harper had strayed too far from first after taking a couple steps towards second, and Posey nabbed him. "It's not alarming," Williams said, when asked about Harper's baserunning errors. "I think that it's a maturation process. We discuss it every time something goes haywire. He does some really good things, as well. The other night, we talked about him going first-to-third, on a ball that other guys don't. So he does some good things, as well. We make sure we let him know that, and we make sure we discuss the things that don't go so well. And he learns and moves forward like the rest of us. "I'm not alarmed. He's an aggressive player, and he'll continue to be that way."